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The time has come! The great tour of Columbia is almost upon us and for the next month, we will be following The Blinders as they deliver their sermon of raw emotions, rock and roll fire and spiritual awakening to a venue near you! Vanadian Avenue will attend two concerts on our own turf. We will bring you the exclusive coverage from Birmingham and Bristol so be prepared for live streams, videos and pictures from the front row.

This entry will be dedicated to the tour exclusively. We will try to collect all materials that will be published on various social media to keep everything tour-related in one place.

For the next month and a half, The Blinders will be travelling all over the UK bringing their music to their fans and shaking the old walls of Columbia until they crumble into a pile of dust. The tour starts in Manchester on 15th of October and will end up with the Last Battle of Bristol on 11th of November. The 22-date tour is the second this year and already several shows are sold out or running very low on tickets. The Blinders will be supported by White Room and Calva Louise on alternative dates so please consider coming to the shows twice as both support acts are incredibly good and it is worth seeing them both live.

And at the beginning of week two – 7 shows sold out and 7 running very low on tickets (less than 20 tickets left)

Third leg of the tour and 9 sold out gigs. Out of 22 shows, that’s nearly 40% of the tour being sold out! Nice!

Merch:It is not possible to go on a national tour without a whole range of t-shirts and other memorabilia. This time, the band prepared coasters, stickers, three different shirts to choose from, bags, lighters, posters and many other items. Some of them you can see on the pictures below:

Stage:There is a new scenography for the tour and it is in the darkest shades of crimson! The colour of blood is visible on posters and stickers, the Columbia banners that are proudly displayed on both sides of the stage and the lighting. You can see the picture of Charlie standing on the stage just before the last rehearsal. There is apparently a shocking beginning to the set too but you will not hear any spoilers form us!

Home-coming gig! It was mad and tightly packed. Half of the local scene was there so claustrophobic conditions, mosh pit of epic proportions, blood, sweet and tears were to be expected. Manchester Academy 2 has capacity of 800 people and all tickets have been sold out which signals a new chapter in the band’s development. From small and medium sized clubs, they are quickly moving towards large arenas. After the concert, everybody were invited to the official after party where the band once again played the DJ’s and tormented their guests with their favourite songs from Nick Cave, Bob Dylan and The Doors to The Arctic Monkeys to Abba (Oh, does your mother know you are out?)

The Blinders’ guitar tech, Max Grindle, (@maxgrindle) captures the moment when the champagnes are being opened to celebrate a huge success!

After triumphant beginning in Manchester, The Blinders played Newcastle on Tuesday night. The doors opened at 8:00, the show started 30 minutes later with local 4 piece band called Baltic opening. Calva Louise played their 45 minutes set at 9:15 and then The Blinders took to the stage at 10:00 PM. This venue has capacity of 275 people and was nearly sold out (only 30 ticket short from being full)!

The New Adelphi Club may be small but it is very popular in Kingston. The tickets sold out hours before the gig and many were left desperate when this screen appeared around 14:00 in the afternoon:

Tickets are now sold out!

To those who will be seeing the band in the coming days, please buy the tickets now as they are running very, very low on entire tour and many venues will sell out. Birmingham is down to 6 tickets, Bristol we are told is down to about 30, the same in other venues. Please don’t leave it to the last minute as there is no reprint of tickets. The venues cannot accept any more people beyond their capacity limits! Thank you! Now, having the announcements behind us, we are pleased to report that Calva Louise and Faux Pas played excellent shows and the

The Blinders will play twice in Cardiff during the SWN festival. On Friday, they headlined the main stage in popular bar, O’Neills and their set took place between 11:30 pm – 0:30am. Early bird tickets are now sold out and the entire festival is down to 200 tickets so it no doubt the two shows will again be sold out/nearly sold out events for the Doncaster trio.
You can see the schedule as a pdf or jpg below:

As you can see from the song list, two fan favourites are making a big come back: “Swine” and “Ramona Flowers”. They might not be on the record but their place among the best songs are confirmed. This tour is a massive punch in the guts and if you haven’t been punched yet, please stand in line!!

05. SWN Festival Cardiff – 20 of October (now completed)

Saturday is always one of the busiest days at SWN festivals. The schedules are packed absolutely mad and Cardiff was be bursting at the seams in the evening. The Blinders played a 45 minute set at the Old Market Tavern starting exactly at 6:00pm. The crowd was wild, welcoming and ready to rock. What can we say, another day in the office, isn’t it? 🙂

Poster advertising Huw Stephens show with the Blinders hanging outside the venue

The band had a day off on Sunday 21st of October to recharge their batteries and came back to the stage on Monday at the Sugarmill. This is a popular venue and The Blinders played there on their last tour in the winter. To thank their fans for being so welcoming (by the mid-day on 22nd of October, the band learnt that 7 shows have fully sold out and 7 additional ones were down to last tickets!), the lads along with their management offered 4 free tickets to the show. You can imagine that they were snapped in a matter of minutes. As usually, the gig went perfectly well with Calva Louise and local act, Saint Ivy on the supporting bills.

The first gig on Vanadian Avenue’s turf! Birmingham was selling well from the start and it is our greatest pleasure to announce that we have a second sold out show for the band in the Second City, following the gig at Sunflower Lounge on 16th of February 2018. We will be doing an extensive coverage and a concert review so please be on a stand by!

On the 8th day of tour, The Blinders visited Nottingham to play at nearly sold out gig at the popular club, Bodega. The doors opened at 7:00 pm and the show finished exactly at 10:00 pm, very early for a mid week night! We cannot complain as the concert was an excellent one, with massive mosh pit and a fantastic crowd reaction. Young 4 piece Those Howling Sounds opened the show,followed by a well received performance by Calva Louise. We don’t have to tell you that The Blinders of course stole the show, but nobody would bet on something that obvious!

Starting in Birmingham, the tour is becoming more and more relentless. There are shows now every day without any breaks but the band truly enjoy being on the road and playing a gig in new town each day. More and more gigs are also selling out, so please don’t wait until last minute. On 25 of October, The Blinders returned to the Venue in Derby for the second time this year, after their sold out debut in February. Another venue and another, nearly sold out show. It was very intense, or sources confirmed that Matty broke one of his drumsticks and he threw it into the crowd!

We are almost in the middle of the tour! On 26 of October, The Blinders played in Sheffield in a fantastic place called The Plug on Matilda Street. The doors opened at 7:30pm, the curfew was at 11:00pm and Calva Louise and The Varletts were supporting. It was considered one of the best shows on the tour so thank you to those who came and made it such a fantastic experience for everybody involved. We love you all!

After a day of rest (for Halloween parties), The Blinders are now back on the road. On 28th of October, the band arrived to play at the lovely Brudenell Social Club in Leeds and it was again a sold out affair. Doors opened at 7:30, Household Dogs were the first support for the night, followed by the wonderful Calva Louise just before the Doncaster trio. As expected, it was a beautiful gig, with massive mosh pit, great response from the crowd and a fantastic feedback.

Liverpool was the 12th gig on this tour and right now we are exactly in the middle! It is true that the time flies when we are all having the time of our lives. The Liverpool concert introduced some massive changes in the line up: Calva Louise finished their leg of the tour and the new support slot was now filled by White Room. Liverpool concert was also be supported by the mega popular local quartet, The K’s. It was the 6th sold out show for the trio and as you can imagine, it was a blast! The crowd was mad, the band again gave it all and everybody loved each second!

The lucky, 13th gig took place in Aberdeen! A long, long way from the Kingdom of Mancunia (about 6 h by car), but only an hour by plane. The band was travelling by air to reach the next destination and luckily it was a sunny (yet very cold day) for such a long journey. As with other gigs before, the show was spectacular and the club was tightly packed. The Blinders were joined by the White Room and local 5 piece, Swym.

The concerts are going so well that Sam Crowston (The Blinders’ official photographer and visualizer) posted this on Twitter. The merch has nearly sold out and again. That is a very, very good news indeed! Time to order so more.

After a day of rest for the Halloween festivities, the show number 14 is a sweet deal for The Blinders. Preston was one of the first shows to sell out, even before Manchester, Birmingham or London. The show will take place in a club called The Ferret. The doors opened sharp at 7:00 pm and the party lasted until way past the curfew at 11:00. White Room and Manchester trio Sweet Deals on Surgery were supporting to universal acclaim. Of course, The Blinders again stole the show, but it happens every night so nobody is surprised.

Another evening nearly sold out and a fantastic, active crowd singing every word! Thank you so much York! You were fantastic and this show will be remembered for a long period of time. The doors were opened at 7:00, Faux Pas played first, followed by White Room and The Blinders (or Los Blinders as they are recently known) came to the stage at 10:00. Their 50 minute show left people drenched in sweat and wanting more. And more shall come as the tour continues!

2Q Festival – Presented by the crew of Badlands Festival, the Liquor stage will present:Ducking Punches, The Blinders, OCTOBER DRIFT, Queen Zee, Madonnatron, No Hot Ashes, The Ultraviolet, tiger warsaw

2Q Festival is a one celebration festival happening in Lincoln. 80 bands, 9 venues, a whole city dedicated to rock and roll – what else can you ask for? The festival is an award winning event and is known for it’s fantastic and safe atmosphere. The Blinders played their slot at The Liquor exactly at 19:45 pm as a first support before the headliner, Ducking Punches.

Stage times

Facebook advert

How can we describe their show? Well it was MADNESS! People shouting, jumping, Thomas being lifted in the air and walking among the crowd, Charlie playing like a demon and Matty just driving everyone and everything into the ground with his drumming. Only handful of shows left so please come and see them if you haven’t had the chance yet!

The band arrived in Oxford to play at the legendary Bullingdon Club on the 5th of November (remember, remember…). The doors were opened exactly at 7:00 pm but many people were waiting outside of the club for at least several hours despite the cold weather. They were singing “Rat In a Cage” and sharing teas – this is what real dedication and true fandom looks like! Thank you to those who provided the free cuppa to the half frozen fans! Due to a mistake on the ticket vendor site, the show was marked as 14+ when in fact it was 16+ so fans had to show their ID’s to the gentleman at the door. Local Oxford heroes, Brixtons were the first opener, with White Light playing at 9:00 and The Blinders at 10:00. The show finished around 11:00. What can we say? The show was nearly sold out – only 11 tickets were left at the doors so that says a lot about the reception this tour is getting. The crowd was mad, the band finished drenched in sweat and Thomas’ make up was washed clean by fourth song. Another fantastic night!

18th day of the tour had the band arriving in lovely Cambridge! Lets hope the lads had some time off to do a bit of sightseeing as Cambridge is simply breathtaking. As for the show: opening times were pretty standard. Doors opened at 7:00 pm, first support, Ugly performed at 7:30 (please give them a spin as they are truly excellent band!), The White Room went on stage at 9:00 and The Blinders again exactly at 10:00. The show was finished by 11:30 pm. Again, the requirement for all attendees who were under 18 was to have an accompanying adult with them and an ID. According to the reports, the crowd was mad as a hatter, the mosh pit was truly impressive (though not as big as in Birmingham) and everyone had time of their lives.

London gig advertised in Time Out Magazine, London. Picture by by Artbeat Promo

London!! The Columbia tour has finally reached the capitol! For one night only, at the amazing venue The Garage, we had a chance to see The Moses, Calva Louise and The Blinders on one bill. It was a dream come true and the show will remain in our memories for a very long period of time. The doors were opened at 7:00, Moses played at 7:45, Calva Louise at 8:30 and Los Blinders at 9:20. The mosh pit was extremely tight and several people have to be removed from the venue but the security guys did a splendid job. Everyone was safe and sound, had a great time and nothing could spoil the fun! Thank you once again guys! You are truly amazing!

On the 20th day of their journey, The Blinders went down to Southampton. It was one of the earliest sold out dates and the band is always welcomed in the city. The place, The Heartbreakers Bar and Venue has a fantastic reputation and is known to deliver great events. Moses and The White Room went along for the wild ride and we have to say that the night went smoothly and everybody were perfectly happy. As usual, doors were opened at 7pm, Moses played at 7:45pm, The While Room at 8:20 and The Blinders went on at 9:30. The curfew was 10:30 pm. There was a secret after party at one of the city’s night clubs and fans had a chance to take pictures and speak to the band. All in all, the night was greatly intense and long will be remembered (there was just one causality, the amp backed up and exit the stage left, but it didn’t spoil anything!)

Brighton, the next step after Southampton (aka day 21) also sold out several months in advance and is considered one of the best shows on the tour. The band was incredibly focused and energetic. Each song was played with additional strength, dedication and with an extra layer of what can only be described as a “rock and roll” spirit. In plain words – there was more sweat, more theatrics and more swagger. The public loved every second of it and so did the band.

As usual, the gig was opened by a local support, this time by Brighton quartet, Swoon with the amazing vocalist Alice Guala at the helm. The White Room were next at 8:30 and then at 9:20, the Blinders took to the stage. The gig ended at 10:30 with all three bands meeting fans and signing records and posters. After everything was said, done, sang and signed, the entourage went off to a local night club for the after party that lasted, if you believe the report, till the dawn.

Bristol gig (aka The Last Battle of Bristol) took place on the 11th of November and it was the last show on this tour. What was happening, you may ask? The band has long promised to finally kill off Johnny Dream persona, but the show was rather peaceful and nobody was hurt. There was no murder on the (dance) floor and no blood streaming down the walls. The doors were opened at 7:00 and the fans were treated to a cloak room, two upstairs bars, one main bar at the ground floor and a viewing gallery (aka the upper deck) on a real boat! Thekla is quite famous for its unique interior and it was a pleasure to see it with our own eyes. Gum Sole, a young quartet from Bath were quite impressive and we took some videos and pictures so please be on the look out for a review! The White Room are not our cup of tea, but we have to say their music is of excellent quality and the lead singer knows how to charm a crowd! Sadly, we had to leave the venue quite early and we only saw the Blinders for a couple of songs but as usual they were amazing. We missed a very cool thing though – Thomas (or rather Johnny Dream) came into the audience and sat on the floor surrounded by the crowd during one of the songs and everyone commented, it was a truly magical moment. Oh well! You cannot see everything but there is always another gig to attend!

The answer will be a simple one – it was a huge success for the young Doncaster trio! 22 concerts, 10 sold out shows, 7 nearly sold out gigs (leaving 10 or 20 tickets at the doors), 4 concerts with more than half venue capacity filled out. Please note that we are only relying on press reports, venue press releases, our own calculations and the reviews available online and those of our friends who came to the gigs. Maybe the official results will be even better. In any case, Columbia tour has to be called a success. The attendance was way above the average, we have found more than 50 videos on Youtube, hundreds of pictures, 20 articles, 21 reviews and that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

The merch stand was almost empty in Thekla and the gentleman behind the counter was apologizing that the band ran out of t-shirts again! Apparently the shop had to be restocked twice before. This is a very good news and thank you so much for your amazing support for the band! Buying tickets and merch provides necessary income to keep the bands going. We are sure all sales will be dutifully counted and the stock will be much bigger on the next tour, to meet the demand.

Was there something missing?

There is always room for improvement and we have collected the best fans suggestions that were posted all over the Internet:

– A gig in Norwich! Many fans called for additional gig to be added to the tour. The last time The Blinders played Norwich was on 17th of October 2017 along with Queen Zee and Cabbage (Norwich Arts Centre). Maybe 2019 will see the band returning to the capitol of East Anglia.
– More variety at the merch stand – fans asked for more t-shirt designs to choose from (there were only three available) and for female versions of the tees to be added as the unisex ones (even in S and M sizes) were simply too big. Also, please bring back the lighters!– Festival appearances – some festival appearances were added at the last minute or were not advertised on the social media in advance, not allowing fans to purchase the tickets.
– New material/song order – in short, can at least one new song be added to the set? If it is not possible, please play “Murder at the Ballet” and “You Are So Cold” from the first EP to add some variety. Those who attended multiple concerts wished that the song order was changed a bit as it was identical for the majority of the tour. Some fans also called out for the mysterious “Acid Bath” to be finally added to the set!
– More security and safe spaces for female attendees – this one is tricky as the band has absolutely no control over the behavior of the concert goers. When Thomas saw a rowdy fan trying to start a fight at the London gig, he stopped the concert and made sure the gentleman was escorted out by the security. The band also posted an appeal on their social media asking fans to take care of one another afterwards. Fans suggested teaming up with Safe Gigs for Women (https://sgfw.org.uk) a non profit organization trying to provide women with spaces where they could enjoy concerts without being harassed or being endangered. The charity also caters to the needs of the vulnerable people of both sexes, people with disabilities (including wheel chair users) and underage or young teens. There are other organizations doing similar work as well. It is something that can be taken into consideration.

Please remember that after all, we are responsible for the safety at gigs so if you see something worrying, suspicious or wrong, please let the stewards or security know. Thank you!

So what’s next?The band is now resting and working on new material. There are many gigs already booked for the rest of 2018 and for the 2019 and we will follow them in a separate blog entry as this one is very, very long already!

Please stay with us and enjoy the music, memories and the extensive library of links, pictures and videos!

It is true that good AnR falls in love with a band at least once a week. After all, this is what we do – our job is to find a new talent, recognize its potential and bring it to the public/record label/press attention. We are constantly on the move. From one venue to the other, from Soundcloud to Youtube to Bandcamp. Our feelings change like a kaleidoscope. A band we saw few weeks earlier and we thought were rubbish will win our hearts at the next gig. A singer we heard today and we thought was excellent, will be deemed pale and stale next week when somebody better comes along.

Panta Rhei, a great philosopher once wrote. Everything has to flow, change and improve. In normal circumstances, we will come to see a band several times before we make up our minds. One bad gig will not cross our your chances, several good ones will only strengthen our resolution to help. Sometimes, however, magic happens. This is what we wait for, why we roam the darkest, smallest dive – bars and open mic nights. Very, very rarely, a band will enter the stage and within 10 seconds we know we have found a gem. It happened to us with The Blinders, The Americas and Children of the State. And with Raptor.

Raptor self titled EP

The first time we saw them live, it was an electrifying feeling. Like a thunderstruck or a solid punch in the guts. Your hair stands on ends, there is a chill running up and down your spine. You gasp in an absolute awe, with your mouth open and you watch the pretty colors and listen to the most beautiful music in your life. We exaggerate a bit, but the feeling of surprise and amazement is real – this is an act you know you will be working with. Call it a sixth sense – we can spot a good material for rock and roll greatness from a long way and assess them in a matter of seconds.

And once we are in love, we do everything what’s in our power to help. In majority of cases, we invite the chosen act to sit down with us and talk about their beginnings, music, influences and plans for the future. We learn more and more about the band. We research, gather links and materials about them. We become experts. This is the only way we can help – you need to know the band like a back of your hand. Talking to Kurt and Adam Fletcher was a pure pleasure – another proof that our intuition was correct.

Raptor are a psychedelic rock trio comprised of brothers Kurt (guitar/vox) and Adam Fletcher (drums) and Nick Osborne (bass) based in Bristol. The band formed in the quiet depths of rural Herefordshire, released their first offering simply entitled “E.P” on Friday, 13th February 2015 to critical acclaim, showcasing their fuzz driven guitar grooves and hard-hitting drums. June 2017 saw the release of Raptor’s double single “Ultraviolet/Haight Street” that has since received raving reviews from BBC Introducing Hereford and Worcester, Bristol Live Magazine, Bristol 24/7 and Rock Radio UK among others. Their electric performances won them acclaim from Scott Holiday (Rival Sons) and Verden Allen (Mott The Hoople) and allowed the band to open for Robert Plant, Mick Ralphs (Bad Company) and Dr Feelgood. In May 2018, the band signed to Don’t Tell Anyone Records (DTA1) and their new single “Dynamite (is Freedom)” was released on 31st July 2018. Raptor have currently completed writing of their full-length debut album and the record is set to be released this autumn via DTA1.

According to your biography, Raptor is a trio consisting of two brothers and a friend. You formed in 2014 in Leominster but currently reside in Bristol. Please introduce yourselves to the readers of our blog.

The sleeve to Raptor`s debut single Double A side Ultraviolet/Haigh Street

Kurt Fletcher: Hi guys! We are Raptor and the band is made up of me (guitar/vocals) and my brother Adam (drums), currently we’ve got our friend Nick Osborne on the bass.

Psychedelic rock seems to have a certain fondness for reptiles. There was T.Rex, Thin Lizzy, Tuatara and now, there is Raptor. Did you chose the name to fit right into this trend or was there any other reason to come up with it?

Adam Fletcher: I’ve never really though of that! Kurt once told me the name appeared one lunchtime in his alphabetti-spaghetti (laughing)

2015 saw the release of your 5-track extended play curiously entitled “E.P.”. To make it even more unusual, you have decided to publish it on Friday the 13th. It received very favourable reviews. Can you tell us more about it?

Kurt Fletcher: We spent a long time searching for a studio and decided to record at The Forge in Warwickshire with Tom Gittins. Tom’s place is really cool and was haunted by a friendly ghost called Millie! She’d mysteriously move the camera that was facing Adam whilst we were recording drums on Get Down…. Spooky!

Raptor fans must have the patience of a saint, as you made them wait for nearly two years before you released any new material. Your next double single “Ultraviolet/Haigh Street” was very different than your debut. It was more aggressive, more edgy and less bluesy. Your style also evolved considerably and we can hear obvious prog-rock inspirations such as early Genesis or even Van Der Graaf Generator! Where were you doing during the break? Practicing, getting better and recording?

Brothers Adam and Kurt Fletcher

Kurt Fletcher: Thank you! To be honest it has all felt like a really natural progression as both before and after our EP release we were gigging hard. We were only 17 and 19 so Ad was starting college studying studio engineering and I was about to go to the BIMM Bristol Uni studying all aspects of music performance. Because we had such a gap between recording we listened to so much different music – we made a conscious decision to really push what we were doing in the studio, Adam was getting more into production while I was getting more interested in songwriting.

Your new sound has been compared to King Gizzard and Lizard Wizard, Jefferson Airplane, King Crimson with a lot of Oasis and psychedelic Arctic Monkeys thrown into the mix. Are those your influences? What type of music are you listening to at this moment?

Adam: I’ve been listening to some Queens of The Stone Age, Tame Impala, Joe Walsh(Eagles), Nirvana and a little funk like James Brown and The Meters… lost of very different genres.. all far too loud.

Kurt: I’ve blasting a lot of Frank Zappa, Uncle Acid and David Bowie. Tom Waits, Demob Happy, The Stones and Santana are favourites of ours.

Raptor received praises from the biggest names in the industry such as Scott Holiday of Rival Sons, Verden Allen of Mott The Hoople and even legendary Robert Plant. He invited you to open for him. Do you remember this gig well?

Kurt Fletcher: It’s always amazing to meet people you respect so highly and it’s an honour to play with them! Scott and Verden are good friend of ours, we’ve had some great nights out with Verden, he still parties as hard as back in the day! Go check him out playing blistering Hammond organ in the All the Young Dudes vid on YouTube.

Adam Fletcher: The Robert Plant gig was so fun! He lives relatively close to where we grew up, there were rumours all the time about Planty showing up at someone’s gig. I remember on the night half way through a drum solo turning around and seeing Robert Plant watching me through the curtains… I lost my mind. He graced the stage after us and opened with When The Levee Breaks.. it doesn’t get any better than that! I spoke to him after and he was so kind and great conversation…. what a night!

Cover of Dynamite (Is Freedom) – Raptor`s current single

Just last month, you have been signed to a proper independent label. Congratulations! How did your co-operation began?

Kurt Fletcher: Alex Andrews, who runs Don’t Tell Anyone Records (with his business partner Sam) asked us to play a show with his band Stone Cold Fiction in Bristol this April and we got on great! After meeting with Alex again we started making plans. DTA1 is an independent label and is all about helping one another out – He put out King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s record last year and released our new single ‘Dynamite (Is Freedom)’ in July this year.

You have new record deal and a brand new single “Dynamite (is Freedom) out right now. What is the song about?

Kurt Fletcher: It’s difficult to give Dynamite (Is Freedom) a direct meaning as it was written over a period of months – soaking up different inspirations along the way. There are cynical parts to it as well as elements of dystopia, it talks about accepting the situation you are in and learning to come to terms with things.

Did you have fun recording it?

Adam Fletcher: Recording this record has been some of the most fun we’ve ever had and we are extremely pleased with what we’ve done. It was recorded at Bink Bonk with Mat Samson (Turbowolf/Kasabian) in Bristol with analogue and digital gear… We chose to track live without a metronome to capture the sound and energy of our live show. Mat is as mental as we are which meant for a lot of sonic experimentation using a collection of vintage amplifiers, effects and audio rarities including vocal mics owned by The Beatles used on their last three albums (and the rooftop gig), guitars amps owned by Motörhead and a Reverb unit owned by Pink Floyd and used on The Wall!

If we’d like to see you live, where do we go? Do you have anything lined up?

Kurt Fletcher: We’re going on tour at the end of September with Stone Cold Fiction & Don’t Tell Anyone Records so you can catch us across the UK! Here are the dates:

We are going to see Raptor play live in Manchester on the last date of their tour, so please be prepared for an massive update to this interview. There will be pictures, filmed performances and maybe a flash video-interview!

We love coming back to the Kingdom of Mancunia and we know we will have a fantastic time.

Oh, it was a very frustrating beginning of the month! The WordPress went down, their SSL broke and our publishing schedule got delayed by a week and a half. Luckily, Rita is a miracle worker, found the right script, implemented it and voila – we are back in action. But it took a long time and we do apologize for the technical issues. They were outside of our control!

So, in span of just several days, you can enjoy two brand new blogs. The first one is our view/review/official waffling post about The Blinders (you can read it Here) and the other is a brand new interview with the electronic music prodigy, Inwards.

Inwards in another dimension (or maybe just on the stage!)

Of course, we don’t have to tell you that Inwards (aka Kristian Shelley) is the pride and joy of Worcestershire and we are extremely proud of his achievements. And there is a lot to be proud about! His music receives praise after praise and super favourable reviews from journalists, media and radio stations. Kris is going places and he is going to the top at an impressive speed. Before you blink, he will be there at the top of the charts with Burial, Aphex Twin and Chemical Brothers.

Talking to Kris is a rare pleasure. He is entertaining, kind and very pleasing to interview. He is curious about the world, culture and popular heritage. We sat down with him after his session for BBC Introducing in Hereford and Worcester and grilled him about his equipment, music and having his music played on the national radio.

Official bio: Inwards is the alias of Kristian Shelley, a multi-instrumentalist and music programmer from Worcestershire, UK. His work exists in the experimental domain and draws influence from the far borders of dance music, using modular synths with acoustic and electronic sources to create a nostalgic and colourful sonic palette. Crackling with the freedom and spontaneity that characterises his studio productions, Inwards live performances vary from one environment to the next, taking on organic forms through the manipulation of his electronic instruments. Gaining a reputation for his absorbing shows, which are often complemented by live visuals, he has played alongside the likes of Lapalux, Adam Betts (Three Trapped Tigers), Tyondai Braxton (Battles) and Ulrich Schnauss, and at festivals including The Great Escape and Brighton Digital Festival. Signing to Small Pond in 2017 after capturing attention with a series of DIY releases, Inwards invites you into a dark yet playful and psychedelic world of sound on his debut album.

According to your bio, Inwards is a moniker of producer, multi-instrumentalist and music programmer – Kristian Shelley. We are intrigued. Can you introduce yourself to readers of Indieterria?

Inwards: Hello readers of Indieterria! I’m Kris and I play instruments and use computers to make music.

Inwards is very poetic term. It describes someone “orientated towards the inside” or something “existing within the mind, soul or spirit, often not expressed”. It can also be applied to a person that is private or even shy. This is not a name that was chosen accidentally, isn’t it?

Inwards: No, it is not an accident. The music I make is an introspective experience for me so I arrived at the name “Inwards” and it felt right. I stuck with it.

Before becoming a DJ, you played in several alternative and funk outfits. Is working on your own much harder than being part of a group? Do you feel more comfortable relying only on yourself on stage?

Diesel album cover

Inwards: Working on your own can be a very freeing experience. It also makes you question whether what you are doing is a good vibe because you don’t have anyone to bounce ideas off. Being on stage alone is much more daunting than with a band but I like it. At this moment, I’m looking forward to a new project I have started with some musicians friends this year. I really miss playing in a band and miss the band vibrations!

It is not always possible to meet your musical heroes, but you were lucky to speak with Aphex Twin (aka Richard D James) at Bangface Festival in Cornwall in 2012, right at the beginning of your career. Are you still in touch? If so, did he say anything about your newest compositions?

Inwards: This was just before I had started making electronic music and the whole festival was very inspirational! We didn’t exchanged details but I was lucky enough to bump into him again last year at a small festival in Cornwall and we had a good chat about modulars and living in the countryside. I don’t know if he has listened to any of my stuff, but it would be great to give him something back for his early support!

You have performed alongside Lapalux, Forest Swords, Adam Betts (Three Trapped Tigers), Tyondai Braxton (Battles) and Ulrich Schnauss (of Tangerine Dream) and at festivals including The Great Escape and Brighton Digital Festival. If you could share the stage with just one artist or a band, who would you choose?

Inwards: (laughing) Slayer! It has to be them!

On 19th of January 2018 you released double single entitled “Amsterdam”/“Computertalsk”. In one interview you mentioned that both tracks are based on your personal experiences. Can you tell us what events from your life inspired each song?

Amsterdam/Computertalsk double single cover

Inwards: Well, the first track “Amsterdam” kind of gives me that feeling of freedom you get when travelling. It is mixed with undertones of wanting to return home and chill. “Computertalsk” represents a different feeling, the one of trying to make the computer to express itself. It is like giving the machine a voice so it can tell you what’s going on. For me, this tune is like the computer is learning to talk because it’s got something really emotionally potent it needs to tell you. I really like making the machines feel like they have a personality and trying to give them a voice and this was me exploring these possibilities.

You are the only Worcestershire based artist who has been championed by so many DJ across BBC 6 Music: Mary Ann Hobbs, Don Letts, Stuart Maconie, Lauren Laverne, Tom Robinson, Steve Lamacq and Tom Ravenscroft. Your single “When she flashes her smile on me” was named a Song of the Week. That’s a complete take-over of national radio station! What`s your secret?

Inwards: (laughing) I don’t really know how to answer this question. I don’t think there are any secrets to making music! Just do what feels right for you.

We have seen the equipment you use to create your music during your session for BBC Introducing Hereford and Worcester in Pershore. It looks very impressive and very complicated. We are sure that outside of music, it is also capable of answering phone calls and making a cuppa. Help us out and tells us what are all those cables, wires and boxes?

Inwards: I will try to make it easy! So, the main box with the wires is a modular synthesizer. It is basically a synthesizer that you can choose what component parts are inside it. Basically, you can make it your own instrument. The other stuff is a mixer, drum machine and a Delay Pedal which I use alongside the modular and my computer to create the vibes. I wish it could make drinks but not quite there yet (laughing). Would be cool to make a phone module that could randomly call people in a contacts list and then use the audio from the call in the system. Or a prank call module with customizable soundbank for all your favourite prank calls. If you are a modular synth developer and reading this, you’re welcome!

Tell us about your relationship with your label – Small Pond

Kristian at work

Inwards: I met the Small Pond crew through living in Brighton. I remember going to a great party at their studio on Castle Street. I think it was the opening evening of the studio that the Small Pond team had been building for 2 years. I met most of their employees that evening, although I didn’t back then think I would be working so closely with them in the future! Samuel Organ asked me in late 2016 if I would be interested in working on a release with them and if I had any music that I would consider submitting. I put everything I made that I thought was decent enough and sent them a file with about 60 tracks in it. It was quite nerve racking experience really. It felt like sending of all this precious stuff that I wasn’t even sure was any good anymore because I had listened to it so much. I think they were a bit taken back by the number of tracks included! Obviously, they couldn’t make a 60-track album (or could we?). It took some time for us to work out the best combinations of tunes but we got there in the end. The album turned out to be a belter and I’m super proud of it. Yeah in short, the relationship is ace, I had a great time so far working with the whole team and I look forward to future projects with them.

Your music is classified as general electronic /dance but we hear so many elements and inspirations: from Aphex Twin, Ian Pooley, The Orb, Orbital, Future Sound of London, 808 State, Sven Vath to Atticus Ross. At times you cross into territory inhabited by Boards of Canada, Unkle, Bjork and all the way to Radiophonic Workshop. You seem to be familiar with incredible amount of popular music, how do you retain your own distinctive identity?

Inwards: I think the identity of music comes from chasing a sound or vibe that makes you feel a certain way. For me, it’s like there are massive spaces in music. Almost like big gaps or territories that haven’t been discovered yet. Making music is my way of bridging these gaps and getting to these sonic landscapes that I feel are missing from my current musical world. I think this is perhaps where musical identity comes from. When you are trying to chase an idea or feeling that exists only in your mind and you try to make it into something tangible. It has your own stamp on it.

Your debut offering via Small Pond – “Diesel” was released on 27th April 2018. How did you approach working on that album? Did you enter the studio with prepared material or preferred to compose there and then?

Inwards: My approach varies to each song individually. Each track is like an experiment where I am exploring music possibilities within a framework of equipment that I set up in different ways each time. When I experiment, I am chasing a vibe or sound that makes me feel in a certain way. Sometimes I can be making music and listening to the same cycle for an hour and not realize it because I am totally sucked in. Some tunes are made in a methodical sequenced way on the computer and others may be coming straight out of the hardware live or a combination of the two methods. I didn’t sit down and said to myself: “Right, I’m going to make a 13-track album this month”. Every time I make music, I just do it in certain moment. Only afterwards I try and fuse tracks together to make larger works.

Last question – where can we see/hear you next? What`s in your calendar for coming months?

Inwards: I have a live show in London coming up at the Pickle Factory on the 16th of August with my visual bro Irie Pixel. We have been working on a live AV show that I am excited to perform. I’m very excited that the show will take place at the Pickle Factory as they have really good club system. Also, I have a show coming up in Bristol soon and some other very cool things to announce but can’t quite tell you about them yet! You will have to watch and see!

On 29th April 2018, Inwards visited his home town of Pershore to record BBC Introducing session. We have been there and made some recordings and videos on the day. It is only fair to share some of our materials with you.

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You can also see our videos on Youtube (yes, we have our own channel with a lot of goodies here)

Well, that’s all folks for today, but stay tuned and we will be back shortly with even more news, reviews and interviews!